Accumulatively resisting and snubbing becket hitches



- INVENTOR. fave/$072- 5 4'ajj trf E. D. SAWYER Filed Sept. 7, 1955 ACCUMULATIVELY RESISTING AND SNUBBING BECKET BITCHES April 1, 19-58 ACCUMULATIVELY RESISTING AND SNUBBING BECKET mrcrms Emerson D. Sawyer, Chicago, Ill. Application September 7, 1955, Serial No. 532,968 6 Claims. (Cl. 39-1) My invention relates to certain novel improvements in accumulatively resisting and snubbing becket hitches to be used in yielding barrier gates or similar devices where the becket hitch can necessarily be brought under strain in degrees before it finally sets up to the full strength of the balancing cable. This slip-along becket hitch involves the use of the equivalent of three cable clamps, which is generally the full strength resistance of a plow steel cable. The application of the two clamps and the several turns of cable as shown, reeved through a pair of loops of the cable constituting a becket hitch,

which will permit full strain being exerted, first by means of individual application of the two clamps, each independently; and third, by the clincher loop strain on the two final loops of the cable.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the combination and arrange ment of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which- Figure l is a diagrammatic framework of a barrier column with the present invention shown in its upper left-hand corner.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the novel becket hitch.

It should be noted that yielding barrier gates are made to function within their own limits of strength, and if strained beyond that limit, then the barrier is designed to free itself of the impinging load without wrecking any of the barrier mechanism within the columns, but by simply separating the net from the resistance members or A brakes; and this patent application falls in line with such a design for barrier devices.

This separation of the counterweight cable from its column connection at the becket hitch end must be amenable to such a design.

Referring to Fig. 1, the numeral 1 represents the slotted column frame of a barrier device. Generally speaking, there are two columns of this sort to each barrier, set symmetrically opposite each other, as best shown in my Patent No. 2,397,330. Within the column shell l, the drum box 2 is fitted to rise or fall by means a chain device 6. This chain device 6 is a chain belt passing over a sprocket 9 and a hidden sprocket below the box 2. The drum box 2 is counterweighted by a counterweight 3 by means of a cable 5, which also passes over a free turning sheave 8 at the top of the column, and down around sheave 7 at the top of the counterweight 3, and then up into a frame 11 which holds the becket hitch. Normally, the drum box 2 is balanced by counterweight 3 in its movement up and down in the column 1, with the counterweight 3 hanging on the bight of the cable and the drum box 2 hanging on the single whip of the line, cable 5. Counterweight cable 5 thus supports the counterweight 3 which is twice the weight of the box 2 in practically a balance.

At the time of extreme impact, the network 12 is pulled freely from the box 2. This network 12, in turn,

2,828,559 I Patented Apr. 1, 1958 is attached to payout cable which is coiled into the box 2. Hence when cable 5 moves counterweight 3 to its upper position as shown about midway of the column, and the network 12 is hit by an impinging vehicle, then the counterweight 3 can be raised to its abnormally up position as 4. V

The counterweight 3 is prevented from rising any farther from its abnormally up position 4 by a counterweight stopper 0 case the cables 20 wound within the box 2 are corroded in position, then the load of counterweight 4 in striking the bumper 13 at pad 14 becomes somewhat excessive and the means of moving the counterweight 4 any higher increases the load on cable 5. Any increase on the load of cable 5 must at this time be slacked off by a yield of the becket hitch at frame 11. This is the point at which the accumulatively resisting becket hitch becomes efiective.

Fig. 2 which shows the becket hitch in an enlarged form as mounted on bracket 11, shows the cable 5 passing up through an opening 19 and back down through the same opening 19 and a large flat clamp 15 secures the two strands of the cable 5 together, just atop the bracket 11 forming a bight #1. The cable 5 then proceeds downwardly and then upwardly to form a bight #2, the upward direction of the cable then extends downwardly to form a third bight #3 above the #1 bight, and this third bight is clamped to #1 bight by means of an ordinary Crosby clip 16. The cable 5 then continues downwardly and loops itself two or more times within the bight #1 and then follows on down to be clamped to the side of bight #2 with its excess end So hanging free. This latter clamp is clamp 18.

From this description it is clear that any overstrain on the cable 5 foreshortens bight #1, and when that attachment or clamp 15 slips, the bight #3 comes into play to resist further movement of the cable 5, and when that second clip 16 slips, then two or more turns of cable 5 are forced into a locked position and the cable 5 then after giving way for possibly 12 inches jambs on the clamp 18 and, probably will be able to jerk the frozen turn loose from the drum where it is corroded on, all within the interior of box 2 and release the payout cable 2t freely without any damage to the mechanism within the column.

In testing barriers it has been proved that if the barrier is hit before the brake is set inside the box, then as the barrier pays out, the whole barrier resistance must fall on the counterweight cable, and then the counterweights are run up in their columns at such a speed that they must necessarily hit their top bumper; and to ease the blow at the becket hitch above this top counterweight bumper, the accumulative becket hitch becomes an essential.

This new type of barrier becket hitch is shown as applied on a yielding barrier device.

This novel becket hitch can be used on other types of mechanism so as to function itself by its three-point tightening system when the mechanism has passed its limit of travel and still produces a tensile strain subsequent thereto. In fact, when any rigger raises a remark that a condition of two-blocks is obtained, this type of becket hitch is the means of eliminating damage to the lifting gear, as time is afforded to stop the mechanism.

Reference is made to my Patents Nos. 2,397,330 and 2,605,829.

This slip-along becket hitch forms a snubber within a barrier by being a three-point slippage arrangement at the end of the counterweight cable, but in reverse order of efliciency; yielding in three stages, first with one clamp, second with two clamps, and third with the added resistance of two or more turns of cable passing through the 13 and its small bumper pad 14. But in loops made by the other bights of cable forming the eyes for the first two clamps.

While I have illustrated and described a precise arrangement for carrying. the. invention into effective use, this is capable of many variations, modifications and alterations without departing from the spirit of the invention. I thereforedo not wish to be limited by the description and drawings forming a part of this specification, but desire to avail myself of such changes as may fall within the spirit and scope of the appended cls m I claim:

1. An accumuiatively resisting becket hitch comp .g a supporting bracket, a cable supported by said bracnct, said cable providing a plurality of'loops, and clamping means securing at least tWo of said loops together.

2. An accumulatively resisting becket hitch comprising a bracket having a hole transversely therethrough, at ea. "c having a free end extending through said hole and having a loop providing a base portion thereon and returning through said hole, clamping means securing said cable at said base portion of said loop, said cable having at least one additional loop, and clamping means securing said free end to a portion of one of said loops.

3. The structure of claim 2,. wherein said free end of said cable is coiled through a portion of at least one of said loops.

4. In a barrier column for yielding barriers, an accumulatively resisting becket hitch for successively tightening the in-pull of a recoiling cable comprising a bracket mounted within said barrier column, said bracket having a hole transversely therethrough, a cable having a free end extending through said hole and having a loop thereon and returning through said hole, clamping means securing said cable at the ends of said loop, said cable having at least one additional loop, securing said free end to a portion tional loops.

5. The structure of claim 4, wherein said cable is coiled at the base of one of said additional loops through a portion of said first loop.

6. In a barrier column for yielding barriers, an accumulatively resisting becket hitch for successively tightening the in-pull of a recoiliug cable comprising a. bracket mounted within said barrier column, said bracket having a hole transversely therethrough, a cable. having a free end extending through said hole and having a loop thereon above said bracket and returning through said; hole, clamping means securing said cable at the ends of said loop, said cable having a second loop thereon below said 'racket, and a portion of said cable arranged adjacent said first loop and having a third loop thereon above said first loop, clamping means securing adjacent portions of and clamping means of one of said addisaid first and third, loops together, said, cable being coiled.

at the base of the third loop through said first loop, said free end of said cable arranged adjacent said second loop, and clamping means securing said free end to said second loop.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Hoover Dec. 14, 1943 OTHER REFERENCES 

